South Florida Business Journal Features City Labs

“Startup City Labs gets nearly $1M military contract”

City Labs, which makes 20-year-plus Tritium betavoltaic batteries for microelectronics, sensors and other small devices microelectronics, was awarded a nearly $1 million contract by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, according to a news release.

The Homestead-based company said its batteries have “broad potential” for military use and can be used in aircraft, computers, sensors, radar systems and unmanned aerial vehicles.

The six-year-old company was initially housed at Florida International University.

“City Labs is the first of what is hoped to eventually be many companies to be incubated at FIU,” said Kenneth G. Furton, professor and dean of FIU’s College of Arts and Sciences, in a news release.

It is now incubated in the Carrie P. Meek Business Center, a facility originally sponsored by NASA, and is backed in part by Alex Aguila, who co-founded Alienware, which is now owned by Dell.

Last month, City Labs closed on a first round of financing for an undisclosed amount, led by Aguila and other South Florida entrepreneurs.